Carpal Tunnel Syndrome & Workers' Comp

Posted By Katz Leidman Grossman Wolfe & Freund || 5-Apr-2017

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) affects the median nerve and the tendons responsible for bending
the fingers. When someone has CTS, the median nerve, which extends from
the forearm down to the hand, is squeezed at the person’s wrist.

The carpal tunnel, located at the base of the hand, is a narrow passageway
made up of ligament and bones; it houses the median nerve, which as we
mentioned earlier, controls the fingers. The lining of the irritated tendons
can swell, which narrows the tunnel and compresses the median nerve, which
can lead to the following:

Carpal tunnel syndrome almost exclusively occurs in adults, and it affects
women far more than it affects men, probably because their carpal tunnel
is smaller. Carpal tunnel is especially common in those who work in: assembly,
manufacturing, sewing, cleaning, finishing, and fish packing.

According to
Johns Hopkins Medicine, “A common repetitive motion injury is carpal tunnel syndrome.”
Johns Hopkins Medicine goes on to say, “It is often seen with people
who use computer keyboards or work in assembly lines.”